Improvement in railroad-rail joints



UNITED STATES WILLIAM GRANDELL, OF WESTFIELD, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD-RAIL JOVINI'S.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 139,660, dated J une 10, 1873 application led December 19, 1572. 1

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GRANDELL, of NVestield, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fish-Jointsfor Railroad Rails, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates tothe connections between railroad rails, commonly known as the fish-joint; and the invention consists in forming V-shaped grooves or sex-rations in the inner face of one or both of the fish-plates, and also'on the web of the rail, to hold the joint stiiiiy, and thus prevent any jar or concussion Y of the rail at the joint, as hereinafter set forth.

l In the. drawings, Figure lis a cross-section.` Fig. 2 is an elevation.

In the fish-joint now used the plates are liable to become loose and worn; and when this happens the load in passing over it depresses the rail it is running on at the end, and thus causes a discrepancy between the heights of the rails, which, when the wheel leaves the lrst rail and strikes the second one, causes a concussion or jar as it passes from one rail to the other.

To overcome this objection, and to make an unyielding joint and a more durable rail, is the object ot' my invention, which consists, as

y before stated, in forming on the face or faces of one or both ofthe fish-plates A A a series of V-shaped threads or serrations, a a, which it into ,corresponding V-shaped threads or serrations on the webs B of the rails, as shown in Fig. 1, the whole held together by the usual bolts U C.

By this means it will be seen that the interlocking V-shaped threads or serrations will prevent any depression or elevation of one rail without the other, and thus prevent any jar or perceptible concussion when the cars, Ste., are passing from one rail to the other.

The serrations a a may be formed on one or both sides of the web and fish-plates, as may be determined for the best.

Another great advantage obtained by this device is that it distributes the friction over the whole surfaceof the plates A A, and thus removes the strain from the bolt C, and eifeotually prevents the liability of the breaking of the rail at that point where the holes come through, as steel and other rails frequently do with the present fish-joint. Also, in the oommon fish-joints the continual jar and concussion on the end of the rails injures and laminates them greatly, requiring frequent repair; but by my arrangement this is completely overcome. It also forms a self-supporting joint, and thus prevents any settling at the joints, as is the case in those now used. My device provides a perfect self-supporting joint.

I do not claim the combination ot' a fishplate having square or rectangular; recess for receiving square or rectangular projections on t-he web of the rail, for such is not my invention. In such cases, to produce such projections involves much labor, time, and expense, and requires the formation of such projections the entire length of the rail, especially if the same be rolled. By myinvention the sides of the web for a shortdistance from the end of the rail only is serrated or threaded, which 'is easily accomplished upon old or new rails by the simple act of .milling; theinner facesof thesh-plate, Whether old or new, being likewise formed so that when the two areplaced in position and screwed up an immense frictional surface is created, andliability to looseness of parts by wear avoided.

I claim- A l 'lhe sides of a web of a railroad-rail provided at leach end with the series of V-shaped threads or serrations b b b, in combination withshplates having corresponding threads or serrations a a a, as herein shown, for the purpose specified. A

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.m

WILLIAM CRANDELL.

Witnesses J. R. DRAKE, C. N. WooDwAED. 

